A Broken World
by cdotdot
Summary: "I can't breathe. I can't think. I just feel my world crash to the floor." Mrs Everdeen's point of view after Mockingjay, contains flashbacks. I don't own the Hunger Games! Please review, thank you!
1. Chapter 1

_It's hard to breathe. _

_I can't go on._

_**I can't cope.**_

The messenger backs away. If I had the ability to feel sorry for anyone else I might have pitied him, that he was the one they'd chosen to deliver this news to me. But he has none of my sympathy for I have none to spare.

He looks scared. I can't blame him. I imagine I have turned as white as paper and I can feel my hand shaking violently. He's the person that has to watch my world crash to the floor.

Now I'm alone and I make no effort to hide my feelings. I cry, my whole body trembling with the grief that is threatening to tear my soul in half. I haven't felt like this in five years. I haven't felt like this since the siren announcing the explosion in the mines went off...

I don't know how long I've been here for now. I'm finding it hard to function. Each time I get close to even vaguely pulling myself together, a new wave of heartbreak hits me and breaks me back down.

No one comes to check on me. They must have decided to leave me to cry myself out. That's probably wise. I wouldn't go near someone if it was somebody else in my shoes.

But it's me in my shoes. No one else can take my place although, as selfish and horrible as it sounds, I would love for someone to be able to.

I'm slipping again. Slipping into my sorrows. My head tells me that I have to be strong now, for Katniss. She'll need me and I can't abandon her now. Not again.

My head still can't wrap around the truth though because it can't be true. If it's true then I will have lost another that I love so dearly.

_My daughter is dead._


	2. Chapter 2

_18 years earlier..._

"We're married now Olivia, we're actually officially married!"

I grinned as I looked at my new husband, David Everdeen. He had the classic Seam appearance, dark brown hair, grey eyes and slightly tanned skin. He was basically the opposite of me, a merchant girl (well now an ex-merchant girl) with blonde hair, blue eyes and pale skin. But I think that's one of the reasons why we got on so well; we're so different.

"I know we're married," I laughed, "I was there you know!"

He laughed as well and grabbed my hand, "I've got a surprise for you!"

"What is it?"

"Well if I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise now would it?"

We started making our way towards the town which confused me a bit.

"David where are we going?"

"You'll see, wait here we go."

We were standing outside the town bakery. Through the window I saw Ethan Mellark, arranging the cakes on display. He looked up and noticed me watching him, giving me a small wave. I smiled and returned his wave, then followed David inside.

"Good afternoon," Ethan said politely, "can I help?"

"Yes," David replied, "I would like to buy one of your loaves of bread. The white one with the seeds in."

"Certainly," Ethan reached behind him picking the requested loaf. "That'll cost- yes that much."

I looked around confused, to see that David had placed a small pile of silver coins on the counter.

"David, where did you get that money from?" I asked shocked.

He smiled, "I had a good hunt yesterday."

I smiled too, noticing the feeling of pride that grew inside of me.

"Thank you," David nodded to Ethan picking up the bread and then turned to me smiling. "This is for our toasting. We had to have decent quality bread."

As we made our way back out of the shop Ethan shouted, "Congratulations!"

Slightly surprised I turned round to see Ethan making his way towards us. "I heard that you were getting married."

"You did?" I asked surprised, "how?"

"Word gets around, especially when the news is, um, well..." Ethan trailed off but he didn't need to finish, I knew what he meant. When the news is as shocking and controversial as a girl from the merchant class running off with a miner. I imagine here in the town it had caused quite the scandal.

"Here," Ethan continued holding out his hand, "this can be my wedding present to you."

We looked down at his outstretched hand to see the coins that David had so recently given him.

"We can't take them," David said almost bluntly, "we can't owe you."

"You won't be owing me," Ethan insisted, "like I said, it's my present to you."

Slowly, carefully, almost like he thought it was a trick, David reached out and took the coins back.

"Thank you then," he said giving Ethan a polite nod. Ethan returned it then headed back to the counter. "Have a good day," he called.

"You too," David and I replied making our way out the shop and shutting the door behind us.

"That was very kind of him," I commented as we walked down the street, "giving us the bread for free."

"It was," David agreed, "but in a way it wasn't really surprising."

"What? What do you mean?"

David stepped in front of me so he was facing me.

"You really don't know?"

"Well apparently not!"

"Olivia, he has a crush on you! No forget that, he_ loves_ you. Don't look at me like that! I'm not lying, it's obvious really though isn't it?"

"No! I don't what you- he doesn't love me!"

"Fine, you believe that," David said an annoyingly smug look on his face, "if you want to believe that go ahead but just remember, I _know_ people and he loves you."

I rolled my eyes which made him chuckle and hug me close to his side. I hugged him back, loving his warmth, when I felt him stiffen slightly.

"What is it?" I ask pulling away from him so I could see his face.

He didn't really seem to know what to say so I just followed his eye line. When I realised what he had I stiffened as well.

Standing only about ten metres away from us stood a couple. Both in their early fifties, wearing respectable clothing and both with light hair with streaks of silver. They would ordinarily have looked friendly but at the moment their faces wore an odd expression, one I couldn't quite name but one that wasn't friendly in any way.

This couple, was my parents.

For a moment the four of us just stood there, looking at each other but then my mother seemed to snap, grabbed my father's arm and marched him away. I watched them go, I watched my father look back quickly. I locked eyes with him for a moment, was that sadness in his expression?

But then he turned away like nothing happened and followed my mother away.

I just stood there, not quite sure what to do. If I'd ever had any thoughts about my parents accepting me again, they were definitely gone now. I They'd made it clear that they didn't want anything to do with me or David.

"Let's go," David said gently taking my hand and leading me to our new home where we would start our new life together.

I couldn't help but notice the way people looked at us as we walked. The town people's expressions ranged from disappointed to disgusted to just blatantly ignoring me but the further we walked, where people's eyes started to change from blue to grey, the looks we got were those of pity and regret.

We finally stopped in front of a little house, quite close to the forest.

"That's convenient for you," I said pointing it out to David.

"Isn't it just," he agreed, "another sign that we're on the right track."

And with that he opened the door and picked me up carrying me through the doorway into our new home.

Fifteen minutes later we had a fire going in the small, dark main room. David got the bread cut off two slices and passed one to me.

"Time to toast," he said. I smiled as I took the bread and we sat together watching the bread change from white to brown, from soft to crispy.

"Thank you," David said quietly at one point.

"What for?"

"For marrying me."  
A quiet laugh escaped my lips before I replied, "it was the easiest decision I've ever had to make."


End file.
